Jack's Blog

9/30/2012 27 Comments

Do social media and blogging sell books?

Blogging

I WISH THAT I knew. I don't have a clue as to what sells books. I can guess. You need a good product, a book that's well written and edited. You need a potential audience. The book's genre greatly determines that. You need effective marketing, some way of announcing your product to your audience. That should just about cover the bases. I believe that I have covered two of the three bases.

Click to see reviews on Amazon

My novel, Rebels on the Mountain, seems to fit the first requirement. Every review that I've received has been excellent. Thirteen reviewers have given it 5 Stars and only one has given it four. Interestingly, the person who gave it 4 Stars wrote one of the more glowing reviews. All have been thoughtful and full of praise.

Its genre, historical fiction, is moderately popular. Historical romance is vastly more popular. However, even though romance is a component of Rebels on the Mountain, it is more of an action and adventure story. There are some who would dispute that it is technically historical fiction because its milieu in the late 1950s doesn't qualify as history. I argue that the period is historical inasmuch as its theme, the rise of Castro in Cuba, is historically significant. It was, after all, the prelude to a conflict that almost triggered global nuclear war.

Thus, I am tempted to lay fault for the poor sales of Rebels on the Mountain at the feet of its marketing. How do I define poor? How about only two dozen copies in nine months?

So, what have I done to market Rebels on the Mountain? I have a website with a weblog. Of course, you already know that, don't you? That's where you're browsing right now. The purpose of this website is to promote myself as an author and help establish my credentials as a historian. Most of my blog postings deal with historical incidents. Its ultimate purpose is to promote sales of my books.

I use FaceBook and Twitter as well as Triberr, PinIt, and StumbleUpon to drive traffic to my website/weblog. You and about 30,000 others stop by every month. In retail terms, that's a lot of foot traffic. Granted, most visitors are only browsing or window shopping. They stop by for a few seconds and pass on.

However (and here is the interesting part) the most popular page on this website is the one that specifically promotes Rebels on the Mountain. Every other page is designed to direct traffic there. Visitors to the Rebels on the Mountain webpage linger for an average of three minutes. That would indicate that many are viewing the book's video trailer (3 minutes and 38 seconds) or at least reading the synopsis. Nearly half who visit this webpage move on to another to read the excerpt from the novel, another popular webpage. Unfortunately, neither the server logs nor Google Analytics tell me how many click on the links to booksellers that I have embedded on these webpages. Even more critical, I have no way of knowing how many have downloaded free samples of the book. There could be thousands of potential readers hoarding it. It would be nice to know.

What do you think? Does my experience prove that blogging doesn't sell books or simply that my blogging hasn't sold my book? Probably the latter. It would be nice if other authors commented below and shared their experiences.

27 Comments

Claude Nougat link

9/30/2012 10:47:12 pm

Same experience! I'm TOTALLY convinced that blogging, tweeting and FB-ing, G+ing, LinkedIn-ing, Pinterest-ing, StumbleUpon-ing etc (I do them all) do not help! None of it does! My most successful post over 2 years of blogging is...about Americans having a Tea Party and Europeans having a Beer Party (i.e. over the Euro-crisis and how to handle it). Honestly now...

Personally, I've just about given up and I'm only cleaning up the presentation of my books on my blog, and that's it. For the rest, I keep writing (that's what I really like to do!).

How to break into the market and get good sales? I honestly do NOT know!

Hope others will comment here on your excellent post question!

Jack Durish link

10/1/2012 02:08:36 am

I'm with you. Writing is what I love. Inasmuch as my blog posts are mostly stories, I rather enjoy writing them and will probably continue. I've already published one set in book form and am working on two others. All the rest seems to be just killing time to no good purpose.

Caleb Pirtle link

10/1/2012 01:19:22 am

I don't know if blogging and social media actually sell books. But they do build your name and your brand. And that's what marketing is all about. Social media does give you a chance to reach out to people and let them know about your book. At the moment, I don't think anyone knows how to sell books. The search continues. Frankly, I feel that you have a better chance to build your brand through Facebook and a continuing email program.

Jack Durish link

10/1/2012 02:04:59 am

I've been planning on launching a FaceBook campaign but honestly, I've already given up so much writing time with the other things that I haven't gotten around to it. As for the email campaign, I've been loathe to go there. I've been spammed by the White House multiple times every day in recent weeks asking to donate to insure the continued wonderfulness of our leader. I'm not sure I would want to inflict myself on anyone that way.

Chip Etier link

10/1/2012 02:09:26 am

I think the best e-mail campaign is one where recipients sign up voluntarily to receive your e-mails.
So, how do we get out of our present nest of connections?

Chip Etier link

10/1/2012 02:07:09 am

Marketing has always (and will always) be a numbers game.
When I began selling my photography online several years ago, I began building my number of connections in the social media.
Presently, I've got approx 1800 @Twitter, 2800 on FB, 600 on StumbleUpon, and 356 on LinkedIn. There are other networks I'm involved in and have no clue what the numbers are there.
I doubt that any of these numbers are sufficient alone to sell much of anything.
The key, seems to be to reach the next generation.
As you know with Triberr, we have the potential to reach well into 6 figures of contacts.
So, how do we do that?
My book is due out in a few weeks, I'll keep you posted.

Jack Durish link

10/1/2012 02:12:56 am

Good luck with it all. I'm just beginning to fear that there may not be a market for any of it. It is possible that with all the other distractions in our lives, there is not market for books. Unfortunately, the market for scripts was never as open to different genres as were books in they best days. Those who produce films and television are very fearful. They will remake the same story countless times rather than attempt something new.

Billy Ray Chitwood link

10/1/2012 11:15:07 am

Ditto, Jack. My wife and I were just talking at lunch about this very subject, and, with all the free book give-aways, the blog posts, FB, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, I'm just about to join Claude: finish my books for the blog and 'keep writing.' Like Claude, 'I honestly don't know.' You have thoughtfully asked the premier question for independent writers, and you deserve better than what I'm giving here. My business field was 'Sales and Marketing' and I'm stymied in this 'brave new world.' You might try Goodreads, Shelfari, Hootsuite, so many other players out there. But, guess what, there are those 'just so many hours in the day,' and it's hard to find time for actual writing.

You were Vietnam, Jack...I was Korea (a really 'old dog' in this digital world). In many ways, this E-world we live in today has its chic elements, but the devil just might be wandering around in there somewhere.

Guess we just keep doing what we love doing --- writing --- and maintain our brand name presence in social media and land where we land. My only positive comment to you is: stay committed to your talent for writing. You and your following know that you're good at your craft. It could take a long time for all the others to catch up. Remember, some of our literary 'greats' took their fame posthumously. Let's hope we can beat that timeline...

My very best to you.

Incidentally, you can read some of my posts at http://billyraychitwood.weebly.com and/or thefinalcurtain1.wordpress.com --- I'm following you on twitter and your blog...we can be 'misery loving company.'

P. S. If I learn the secrets, I'll pass them on --- promise!

Billy Ray

Jack Durish link

10/1/2012 12:29:51 pm

Thanks for dropping by. I'll be returning the favor as soon I finish writing this. In truth, I'm not so much a writer as a storyteller. I'd be just as happy sitting by a campfire or on a porch spinning a yarn. (My family can attest to this.) I write primarily to give my family some relief from hearing me drone on. Maybe I'll be "discovered" some day, and maybe I won't. I'm committed to living on my retirement income. It's enough. Not enough to mount a grand marketing effort. Just enough.

Jennifer Lovett Herbranson link

10/2/2012 04:37:47 am

Hi Guys! I'm new to the "market your book via social media" game and frankly, agree that no one knows how to sell books. When 80% of the marketing budget of the Big 6 goes to the Top 5% of the authors, even the publishers will tell you they don't know. This is particularly true when they expect you to do all the marketing and if it works, then they'll jump on board.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and I believe that selling books is still done by word of mouth. More often than not, I'll read a book because my mom or sister has recommended it or because my favorite writer has written something new or I just met the author.

While I follow lots and lots of authors on Twitter, I'm more apt to follow blogs or Facebook because of word of mouth (unless like these days, I'm trying to find more writers to join the misery-lol).

Getting out and promoting the book via conferences or book clubs or niche groups is time consuming, but it may be the best way currently to drive people to all the social media sites and ultimately, to your book.

What do yall think, am I spitting in the wind too?

BTW, I am USAF and was in Korea too (2003 so not when Billy was there and certainly not in the same crappy conditions) but I wanted to say thank you so much to both of you for your service.

Jack Durish

10/2/2012 05:10:02 am

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your service. I'll continue to write books whether or not they sell and pretend that I don't care. But, I do. And, yes, you are spitting into the wind. That's okay. Just remember to duck after you do.

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Tim Vicary link

10/2/2012 04:57:24 am

Hi Jack,

This is the number one questions that everyone wants to know the answer to, including top publishers. I have two sorts of ebooks, legal thrillers and historical novels, and although I try to market them just the same, I get very different results (like with my kids) The legal thrillers do moderately well, the historical novels, which are just as good (in my unbiased opinion) have a much harder time. The only obvious difference is that the thrillers are a series - so if you like one there are 2 more - but the historical novels aren't.

As for your questions about social media, I think one thing does help - Twitter. Constantly, endlessly tweeting, not always about your books, but with amusing messages, proverbs, links, anything - and building up a twitter following does, in my opinion, have an effect; though it also takes an enormous amount of time. Giving away lots of books free on Amazon Select also helps, but much less than it used to; but it still leads to a small bump in sales afterwards. I have also tried blogging and getting interviews on other blogs, but so far this seems to have the same effect on sales which you mention - almost nothing, sadly. (though I live in hope)

There are a couple of ebooks which I found really helpful in seeking for an answer to this vital question. The Path to Self-Publishing Success, by Michael R Hicks; and the Ultimate Digital Book Promotion, by Jim Kukral.

Good luck - and if you find any new brilliant ideas, let me know!

Jack Durish

10/2/2012 05:12:14 am

Thanks for sharing. Yes, there is the book I should write: A Guide to Self-Publishing. I bet THAT would sell.

Laura Zera link

10/2/2012 06:07:13 am

I read of a study that said one of the top reasons a person buys a book is because they like the author. Social media is an excellent way for readers to get to know an author, but authors need to stop constantly tweeting messages with links to buy their books and start actively engaging with people, show their personality, shoot the breeze. "Buy my book" tweets are both boring and annoying.

Jack Durish

10/2/2012 07:34:57 am

I hope people read your comment, Laura. That's damn good advice. I Tweet with links to promote other author's books, rarely my own. Most of my Tweets link to my blog postings and I let my website promote my writing.

Sonia G Medeiros link

10/4/2012 08:31:15 am

I think sometimes novels take time to catch on. It sounds like you've done the best you can. It may just be a matter of time. I think it was Bob Mayer who said that more books is better. Your sales start to increase when you have more out there.

Jack Durish

10/4/2012 09:03:23 am

You raise an excellent and important issue. What would happen if I were "discovered" and only had one novel to offer. What will I give them when they come back looking for more. Thus, I'm in no hurry until I get two or even three more ready.

Pamela Hegarty link

10/4/2012 09:31:44 am

Thanks for this thought-provoking article. I don't know the secret, either, but I think there must be some version of Amazon's word of mouth at work, because I've been lucky enough to be on their best-seller lists for 27 weeks. I believe that readers find books through Amazon and not through blogs. Blogs may be best used to connect with other writers and to connect with readers after they've found you. I've decided that the best marketing is writing another book. Although I'd like to be more active with my blog, I tend to spend my time and energy trying to get that next book finished. I'm not sure if being more active on social media would help sell my book, but being inactive doesn't seem to have too bad a downside. I want to gear more of my social media to topics that intrigue me so that I can connect better with other writers and readers.

Jack Durish

10/4/2012 09:43:05 am

I bet that everyone is beating a path to your door begging you to share your secret. Well, I guess you've shared it here. Thanks. I suppose that the real secret we would all love to know is the algorithms that Amazon uses to choose the books they are going to promote.

Jeff Faria link

10/5/2012 10:48:59 am

I think Pamela, above, beat me to it, but I'll reiterate.

Here's the deal: Social media doesn't sell books. Amazon sells books. And by that, I don't mean "Amazon has books that are for sale". I mean, Amazon SELLS books. If Amazon 'likes' your book, they WILL sell it, and the book will sell.

On the other hand, if Amazon does not even 'know' it has your book, it WON'T sell it, and the book will go nowhere. The whole point of social media is to induce Amazon to sell your book.

Jack Durish

10/5/2012 10:58:29 am

What are you? Some kind of pusher? Okay, you got me hooked. Tell me the rest. Please!

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Explanations

Blogging: Commentary on the art and science of maintaining a successful website/weblog
Cuba: History of the island and its people gathered while writing my novel, Hatuey's Ghost
Good Reads: Book reviews and interviews with current authors
Infantry School: A journal of my experiences in Basic Combat Training, Advanced Infantry Training, and Infantry Officer Candidate School in preparation to going to war in Vietnam.
Oh-dark-thirty: Random thoughts that wake me up in the middle of the night
Opinion: I am not a member of any organized (or disorganized) political party. My views tend to be libertarian.
Sea Scouts: A journal of my experiences as man and boy with this branch of Boy Scouting (probably not what you'd expect)
Today's Chuckle: Comics and jokes "borrowed" from other sources with links and thanks to the owners of the originals

Vietnam: A journal of my experiences and observations of the Vietnam War while assigned to the 9th Infantry Division, 1967 to 1968
Writing: Personal observations on the craft of writing and the current condition of the publishing industry

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Do social media and blogging sell books?

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